1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal, and more particularly to a sliding/swing module for coupling a pair of facing housings, one of which can move on the other housing to open or close one side of the other housing, and a mobile terminal having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, mobile terminals are classified into a bar type, a flip type and a folder type according to their shape.
A bar-type mobile terminal has a single housing provided with a data input/output means, a mouthpiece and an earpiece. Since a keypad that serves as a data input/output means is always exposed, it may be inadvertently pressed by a user to cause an error or an undesired function. Also, there is a limitation in reducing the size of bar-type mobile terminals because a sufficient distance is needed between the mouthpiece and the earpiece.
A flip-type mobile terminal has a main housing, a flip and a hinge module that connects the flip to the main housing. The main housing is also provided with a data input/output means, a mouthpiece and an earpiece. Since the flip covers the data input/output means, i.e., the keypad, it can prevent any inadvertent key-pressing. However, there is still a limitation in reducing the size of flip-type mobile terminals because of the need to secure a sufficient distance between the mouthpiece and the earpiece.
A folder-type mobile terminal has a main housing, a folder and a hinge module that connects the folder rotatably to the main housing. In a call waiting mode with the folder closed, the keypad of the main housing is covered to prevent inadvertent key-pressing. In a call mode with the folder opened and apart from the main housing, a sufficient distance is secured between the mouthpiece and the earpiece. Accordingly, it is relatively easy to reduce the size of folder-type mobile terminals. Due to this advantage, folder-type mobile terminals have gained popularity.
With the increasing penetration of mobile terminals in the market, a variety of designs have been suggested to meet the needs and tastes of users. Among such designs, a slide type with one housing slidable on the other housing to open or close the other housing is becoming increasingly popular, and now has a bigger market share than the folder-type. To meet this mobile market trend and enhance the user's convenience, various sliding modules, which enable one housing to semi-automatically slide up on the other housing, are used in slide-type terminals.
Recently, multifunctional mobile terminals have been launched to offer various multimedia services, such as Digital Multimedia Broadcast (DMB) services and music/moving picture file reproduction. Such mobile terminals generally have a housing which can swivel on the other housing in order to provide a wider display (i.e. a landscape display mode) suitable for multimedia services, such as DMB.
Conventional folder-type and slide-type mobile terminals are both convenient to use basic communication services, such as voice calls or Short Message Service (SMS). However, the two types of mobile terminals provide a display only in a fixed vertical direction, which is not suitable to use multimedia services (for example, DMB services). Swing-type mobile terminals can swivel a display screen in a direction providing a wider or horizontal display suitable to use multimedia services. However, swing-type terminals, which are focused on the multimedia services, are not convenient for users to make voice calls or use other communication services.